Pair of Jean Royère Sconces, France, 1950
View Similar Items
Pair of Jean Royère Sconces, France, 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Jean Royère (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 23 in (58.42 cm)Depth: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1953
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: f88531509043001023fs
Jean Royère
World traveler, polyglot and avant-garde visionary Jean Royère (1902–81) is one of the biggest names in French mid-century design. He was fascinated by different materials, such as raffia and zebrawood, and aesthetics from around the world, from Scandinavian modernism to the traditions of the Middle East. Owing to this venturesome spirit, Royère produced an eclectic body of work that truly doesn’t fit a singular style. One light fixture might have organic shapes reminiscent of Art Nouveau, while a table would be crafted with minimalist straw marquetry.
Born in Paris, Royère studied classics at Cambridge University and then worked for an import-export company. In 1931, he switched gears to design, studying cabinetmaking in the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and furniture making under the tutelage of Pierre Gouffé. He made his debut in interior design in 1934 when he won a design contest for the brasserie in the Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées.
Royère’s most famous piece of furniture was his biomorphic Boule sofa, sometimes playfully called the Ours Polaire, or Polar Bear. Designed for his mother in 1947, the curved sofa with its fuzzy white velvet shocked the French interior design world when it was displayed at the Art et Industrie exhibition, but it proved enduringly popular with customers, such as the Shah of Iran, who purchased several for his daughter. Royère would continue to design furniture and interiors for an elite clientele, including the kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Royère retired in 1972, then moved to the United States in 1980. After he died a year later, his archives were given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His works continue to be highly coveted — Kanye West, for instance, once tweeted that the Polar Bear sofa is his favorite piece of furniture. In 2016, Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris opened a retrospective of his distinctive designs, from the plush 1943 Eléphanteau chair to the 1963 Tour Eiffel table with its elegant metal supports.
Find vintage Jean Royère tables, storage cabinets and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Red Iron Double Sconces After Jean Royere, France 1950By Jean RoyèreLocated in New York, NYPair of sconces in red painted steel, nice patina. Reminiscent of the creations of Jean Royere. Two pairs are available.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsIron
- Pair of French Neoclassical Style Sconces, 1950Located in Paris, FRBeautiful pair of one-arm French neoclassical style sconces, 1950s. In gilt bronze and metal gun patina, Lucite glass and new black cotton lampshades. In a very good general conditi...Category
Vintage 1950s French Neoclassical Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBronze
$1,965 / set - Pair of Midcentury Sconces Lunel Style, France, 1950sBy LunelLocated in Paris, FRFrench pair of wall lamp sconces in gilt brass and black wrought iron with beautiful thick glass frosted lampshades with elegant flowers ornaments on the top part. In an excellent co...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass, Wrought Iron
- Neoclassical Style Brass Pair of Sconces, France, 1950Located in Paris, FRBeautiful pair of double arm in a very refined neoclassical style sconces of the 1950s in brass with black coton shades. The pair is in excellent condition, electrical parts have ...Category
Vintage 1950s French Neoclassical Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBronze
- French Mid-Century Modern Pair of Sconces, 1950By LunelLocated in Paris, FRExtremely elegant pair of French midcentury sconces by Lunel. In black matte lacquered metal and satin white opaline, France, 1950s. Important: The pair of sconces is composed by: Im...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal
$3,658 / set - Neoclassical Style Brass Pair of Sconces, France, 1950Located in Paris, FRBeautiful pair of double arm in a very refined neoclassical style sconces of the 1950s in brass with black cotton shades. The pair is in excellent condition, electrical parts have...Category
Vintage 1950s French Neoclassical Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBronze